HAND PAPERMAKING FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF THE MIROW CASTLE WALLPAPERS

Autor:

Maris Allik

Year:

Anno 2015

Category:

Conservation

ill 1

The laid surface mould with a copper bronze mesh and a deckle to ensure size for the forming sheet.

ill 2

The pulp has been lifted from the vat and draining on the mould, fenced with a deckle.

ill 3

The sheet is formed as soon as water drains through the mesh and the deckle can be lifted off the mould.

ill 4

When water stops dripping through the mesh, the newly formed sheet is laid upon the felt. In the picture a pile of fresh sheets and felts is seen on the left, laying front of the press.

ill 5

Fresh sheet laid upon the felt.

ill 6

The laid lines of the mesh are well seen in a newly formed sheet.

ill 7

Hydraulic press and laying of the last sheet. On the back side of the mould wooden ribs can be seen.

During the reconstruction project of historical wallpapers of the Mirow Castle 513 sheets of 110g/m² traditional rug paper were made in size of 500 x 420 mm. As hand made laid paper was required for the reconstruction of the wallpaper, a custom- made laid mould and deckle were made specially for the project at the Eifeltor Mühle in Germany. The ash wood mould has copper bronze laid surface, chain lines parallel to the 42cm side, sewn to supporting mesh and wooden ribs. 

The specific characteristic of traditional handmade laid paper are the chain lines visible in the sheet as a watermark and patchy edges of the sheet that form during the process of water draining from the fresh sheet on the mesh after the deckle is lifted off the mould. 

The sheets were formed using traditional methods and materials. Up to the 17th century paper was made by hand in Europe, one sheet at a time, lifting the pulp from a vat with a hand-mould and pressing the sheets between wool felts. 

The wallpapers of the period were glued together from single sheets before the pattern could be printed on the wallpaper.

The pulp for the sheets of the project was prepared of raw cotton and hemp halfstuff, also supplied by the Eifeltor Mühle, and a little abaca was added for wet strength.

The papermaking process took place in the Tallinna Paberikoda, where a Hollender beater is used for preparing the pulp and a hydraulic press for sheet formation. 

The sheets were dried in a drying box and stabilized in press.

The tradition of handmade paper today is widely honoured in the Orient. In the western world handmade paper is mainly used by artists and conservators. If an historical object needs to be reconstructed, there is no alternative among various kinds of machine-paper, which will not reproduce the uniqueness of a handmade sheet.

REFERENCES: 

1. Muinsuskaitseamet. Restaureerimise infovoldik (32) Ajaloolised tapeedid. Kadri Kallaste http://www.muinas.ee/files/Ajaloolised%20tapeedid.pdf